Norwegian couple abuses au-pair women

au pair

A couple in Oslo has been accused of having abused two Filipino women and forcing them to work up to 14 hours a day.

After the work in the house of the couple was done, the work day continued for the Filipino women in the supermarket store, which the man was in charge of.

“Most of the time she was working up to 96 hours per week without sufficient payment,” the indictment said about one of the women, a 32-years old Filipino who came to Norway from The Philippines in 2008.

In 2010 yet another au pair moved in with the family. She worked up to 90 hours per week in the household and the supermarket store Rema, the prosecution claims.

The couple had not sought work permit for the two hard working women.

According to the Newspaper Ekstra Bladet, who reported the case, au pairs in Norway are not allowed to work more than five hours a day, and should be paid 5200 Norwegian kroner ($ US 871)  every month. Furthermore they have the right to claim a Norwegian language course.

“The women had no contact persons, no return ticket, spoke faulty Norwegian, and knew nothing about help from the authorities,” the public prosecutor said, according to Ekstra Bladet.

Both women have family and children in The Philippines.

The trial starts in court on Monday 7 October. Forcing other people to work can give a penalty on up to five years in jail in Norway.

 

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